Adler Appointed Interim Dean at College of Law

February 19, 2013 — Professor Robert Adler was today appointed Interim Dean of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, according to an announcement from Michael Hardman, the university’s Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Adler, the College’s James I. Farr Chair, joined the faculty in 1994 and has served in numerous roles, including Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and chair of the new building committee.

In this video, Adler thanks current dean Hiram Chodosh, offers his thoughts about the College’s new building, and discusses how he thinks the building will impact students, the legal profession and the community in general.

Adler’s appointment will become effective July 1, 2013, contingent upon approval from the U’s board of trustees. He succeeds Hiram Chodosh, who is leaving to become president of Claremont McKenna College.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Robert W. (Bob) Adler, James I. Farr Chair and Professor of Law as Interim Dean for the College of Law effective July 1, 2013 contingent upon the approval of the Board of Trustees. Professor Adler has a distinguished record as a college and university leader while enjoying the widespread respect of colleagues and students as a scholar and teacher.

In addition to his appointment in the College of Law, Professor Adler is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine, where he is collaborating on studies of children’s environmental health issues. His books include Modern Water Law: Private Property, Public Rights and Environmental Protection (Foundation Press, forthcoming 2013, with Craig and Hall); Restoring Colorado River Ecosystems: A Troubled Sense of Immensity (2007); Environmental Law: A Conceptual and Pragmatic Approach (with Driesen, 2007 and Driesen and Engel, second edition 2011); and The Clean Water Act: Twenty Years Later (with Landman and Cameron, 1993). He has written and spoken widely on the subjects of environmental and water law and policy, with a focus on water pollution and aquatic ecosystem restoration and protection. Professor Adler has been invited to appear before congressional committees and other forums to discuss clean water policy, and has represented members of Congress and former EPA managers in amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts. He has also represented Utah and national environmental groups in pro bono litigation, and has served on the boards of a number of local and national organizations and advisory groups, including FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake, Hawkwatch International, EPA’s Federal Advisory Committee on TMDLs, and a Taskforce on Unfunded Federal Mandates for the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. For his work, Adler has received an Outstanding Service Award from the Utah Chapter of the American Water Resources Association; the Pfeiferhorn Award for environmental leadership in Utah; teaching, scholarship and service awards from the College of Law; a National Performance “Hammer” Award from Vice President Al Gore; and the President’s Award from America’s Clean Water Foundation.

I look forward to working closely with Professor Adler and Dean Chodosh over the next few months to assure a smooth transition in college leadership and initiate discussions on the formal search for a permanent dean. Please help me welcome Robert Adler as the Interim Dean for the College of Law.

News Quick Links

Recent News

By Mara Elana Burstein for EDRblog.org. “Starting complex negotiations without an assessment is like performing surgery without any diagnostic tests.” This is one of the jewels of knowledge in Howard S. Bellman and Susan L. Podziba’s article titled, Public Policy Mediation: Best Practices for a Sustainable World. This excellent read covers not only best practices […]